Skov, U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,434 describes a two component permanent tamper resistant protective film label which after application will damage the underlying label upon removal. The first component is a patterned layer with substantially no adhesion to the second component, a transparent base film with a continuous coated layer applied over the pattern layer with strong adhesion to the transparent film. Both coatings have indices of refraction that render the continuous coating and pattern layer indiscernible with respect to one another. An adhesive layer is applied to the continuous coating. A portion of the protective film has substantially no adhesion to the patterned layer and strong adhesion to areas outside the pattern layer to allow the protective film to readily separate from and destruct portions of the pattern layer when the film is removed. This structure is used for tamper evident applications where a pattern layer and a coated layer preferably of the same material is assembled by the label substrate manufacturer. It is not universally acceptable because there is no customization possible in terms of the tamper evident pattern or indicia. It can only be used for tamper evident applications and has no provision to mask confidential information in non-tamper evident applications.
Schaefer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,505, describes stress-opacifying tamper indicating tape for closures which bears a visible message which is changed when the tape is subjected to stress to indicate that it has been tampered with. The message change occurs by the tape becoming opaque to conceal one message and provide a contrasting background for a different message. The invention comprises a stress opacifying translucent polymeric backing having an exposed surface with printed indicia of a translucent colored ink material and contrasting colored indicia on the opposite surface of the backing layer. A coating in the background area of the contrasting indicia is applied on the opposite surface with the color of the coating substantially the same as the color of the indicia on the exposed surface. The contrasting indicia of the contrasting color is visible from the exposed side of said backing until the backing is subjected to sufficient stress to opacify said backing obliterating the contrasting indicia and background coating to create the visibility of the indicia on the exposed surface. This product is not universally accepted because by becoming opaque, information below the tape is no longer is visible versus the two clear or translucent separable layers of the current invention. Additionally, the choice of stress opacifying tapes for commercial use are limited and expensive versus the current invention where any clear or transparent polymeric material or translucent paper can be used.
Ewan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,470, describes tamper evident seals comprising a transparent or translucent substrate sheet having and outer surface and an inner surface with a layer of adhesive on the inner surface. Disposed between the layer of adhesive and the inner surface of the substrate is a tamper indicating means comprising a transparent masking material disposed on the inner surface in a indicia defining pattern and a layer of colorant extending beyond the indicia defining pattern of the masking material. Where present, the masking material reduces the strength of the bond between the colorant and substrate sheet to below the strength of the bond between the colorant and the adhesive. Upon attempted removal of the seal from a surface to which it has been applied, the colorant comes off the substrate sheet in the area of the masking material to create a permanent but previously nonevident tamper indicating indicia visible through the substrate sheet. The outline of the indicia corresponds to the area of the masking material. This invention as in Skov uses a pattern of indicia and coating, colored in this case which splits and leaves a residue on the substrate layer and article that it is affixed to.
Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,873 discloses switch proof labels comprising a transparent plastic film on which an indicia is printed in reverse and is then overcoated with an adhesive. The printing has a greater affinity for the adhesive than for the plastic film so that when the label is applied to an object and then removed, a tamper-indicating amount of the indicia remains on the object. This technology with the indicia visible at all times does not allow for graphics under the label to be clearly read at any time and is the most basic form of a tamper evident label.
Bachman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,942 discloses a secure contest card for temporarily and completely concealing the presence, absence, position or nature of indicia printed on the card comprising a smooth surface card material having an upper surface and a lower surface. A patterned irregular layer of material printed either immediately above, below or above and below printed indicia on the upper surface of the card stock is covered with an opaque removable mask. This technique is complex because the required opaque removable mask blocks the view of desired indicia while concealing the indicia meant to be hidden until the time of use. The mask layer is destroyed when it is removed and does not separate cleanly as the present invention.
Schultz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,929 discloses a tamper evident label construction consisting of multiple layers of protective film where a strong film is applied to a fragile film having adhesive on the opposite side. Multiple indicia, masking and adhesive layers are applied with a transparent or tinted polymeric coating over the masking material in a complex manufacturing process. One set of indicia is visible on one of the film layers until the complex and costly multi-film layered structure is tampered with which reveals indicia on the second film layer while maintaining the integrity of the indicia on the first film layer. The costly and complex tamper evident label system of Schultz is not suitable for the mass market because of not only because of cost and complexity because it does not provide for a means to clearly read graphics on the article below the label and can not be customized by the converter purchasing and printing the label substrate because the indicia in a select pattern and the masking layers are applied by the manufacturer of the label substrate, not the printer.
Grotzner, U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,607 teaches a label for covering confidential information having a base layer with opposed first and second surfaces. A transparent adhesive seal layer is attached to the first surface to affix the label to an article and an irreversibly removable opaque scratch-off layer is attached to the second surface with an authentication mark attached to the scratch-off layer. A coating between the base layer and adhesive provides for adhesion to the object with one force and to the base layer with another force in locally different areas with different strength values in a pattern. The “coating” incorporates at least an ink film and the random or registered printing of bonding agents and anti- and stick lacquers. If the base layer is separated from the object, the ink film remains partially stuck to the base layer and partially stuck to the object causing an irreversible optically visible alteration of the colored layer of the label but not a color change. The base label has the same tamper evident functionality as the prior art of record discussed thus far. The novelty of the invention is the addition of an irreversibly removable scratch off-layer with an authentic mark.
All of the prior art patents cited thus far provide for technology which is unsuitable for use in tamper evident applications which necessitate clean separation of the layers of indicia, bonding agents, lacquers, adhesives and ink films. In each of the cited prior art patents there is residue evident on at least one of the layers at the separation point interface. Additionally, none of the prior art patents teach a chameleon type color change indicating separation of the layers to show that the layers have been tampered with or to reveal masked information. The prior art produces opacity or distortions based and varying adhesion of ink layers, adhesives and lacquers that makes it difficult to see through the tapes and labels to view indicia below. In the current invention, information can still be cleanly viewed through the intermediate if an attempt has been made to remove the intermediate.
Scheggetman, U.S. Published Patent Application Ser. No. 20020056990 A1 May 16, 2002, describes a tamper evident business form where a first transparent upper laminate having a textured lower surface adapted to receive confidential information on it's upper surface is combined with a second lower laminate having a complementary textured upper surface such that the upper laminate appears transparent and such that the upper laminate appears noticeably less transparent when it is separated from the lower laminate and the complementary textured surfaces are exposed. The structure is used in conjunction with an opaque scrambling pattern which prevents reading of the confidential information. Scheggetman's invention uses intimate contact clarity between layers to create transparency out of translucent layers, not the present inventions color changing combinations of layers that change color when separated. In Scheggetman, one side of the laminate is affixed over an opaque scramble pattern on a business form and the other side of the laminate is imaged with confidential information that is not visible until the laminate is separated from the opaque scramble pattern. When separated from the confidential indicia concealing blocking scramble pattern, the layer of laminate with the confidential information becomes translucent creating contrast to visually see the confidential information printed with a gray screen. Translucency is also used as a tamper evident feature to indicate that the layer has been separated.
The present state of the art shows that tamper evident labels and tapes can be produced using combinations of substrates, adhesives, ink films, patterned coatings, stress opacifying films, lacquers, bonding agents and combinations of all these components in complex multi-layer costly substrates. The prior art substrates are customized by the manufacturer of the base tape or label substrate. This limits the application to standard tamper evident applications where the word “void” or “opened” may appear when the label or tape is lifted. Additionally confidential information on tamper evident constructions can be masked by scramble patterns or hidden below removable mask or scratch off layers.
This invention provides for tape, label, card and game intermediates that will show evidence of use and conceal proprietary, gaming, promotional or redeemable information until the intermediate is separated. One form of the intermediate includes a substrate of clear or colored transparent polymeric film or colored translucent paper with one side coated with at least one judiciously selected cleanly separable translucent tinted coatings in intimate contact to form one translucent color that leave no residue when separated. Indicia of a different color not meant to be masked or hidden can be applied to either side of the combined translucent layer is visible. The coated layers when separated split into two different colored layers effecting a color change to show evidence of use. This contrasts with the prior art where tamper evidence is defined by irreversible separated layers of patterns of indicia, ink layers, bonding agents, adhesives, ink films, etc. in combination with layers of transparent or translucent film, stress opacifying film, scramble patterns, authentic markings and scratch off layers. The simple combination of two colored translucent layers combining into a one color translucent layer until the layers are separated is a simple cost effective way to show evidence of separation or use. Optionally, the “chameleon effect” of separation of the layers causing a color change of the invention is useful for masking printed indicia until the layers are separated as the layer is used. This can be for gaming pieces or redeemable articles, contests or for masking confidential information such as credit card and pin numbers and the like where the user intentionally separates the intermediates layers to reveal information such as winning a prize or exposing a PIN number. The intermediate can be used for applications without intended separation that will reveal information for tamper evident purposes only such as exposing the word “void”, a customized message or just a simple color change to show the article was tampered with. To accomplish this, indicia can be applied by the converter or printer to the exposed surface of the intermediate opposite the article it is affixed to or can be printed on an article with the intermediate affixed over the indicia. The indicia color or tint is selected to be the same color or one dominated by the color combination of the translucent colored layers in intimate contact so that it is invisible to the eye until the layers of the intermediate are separated.
It has now been found that making a color changing or “chameleon” label or tape intermediate with the ability to mask and expose information or provide tamper evident features based on a color change of translucent layers on separation of the layers allows surprising ease of manufacture and attractive economics. Additionally, the flexibility to customize on demand information not available before to converters of materials of this type who were locked into standard patterns from substrate suppliers is a distinguishing feature of this invention versus the prior art tamper evident labels and tapes. The entire intermediate of this invention is translucent so indicia can be viewed through it and the color change after separation covers the entire interface area of the separated layers. There is no ink, adhesive, bonding or lacquer layers transferring to one or both separated layers obstructing the clarity or scrambling the image to read indicia on the surface of the exposed layer of the intermediate or on the article the intermediate was affixed to. The images desired to be exposed upon separation of the layers can be customized by an end user not the substrate manufacturer using conventional flexographic, gravure or lithographic techniques or by electronic imaging techniques. The electronic imaging techniques include but are not limited to color ink jet, thermal transfer, laser, direct thermal, dye diffusion thermal transfer and other toner and variable information printing technologies. The ability to easily customize a base intermediate instead of purchasing pre-patterned materials with the pattern imbedded in the structure from substrate suppliers is a significant advancement in this art especially with the rapid advancement of on demand colored variable imaging techniques. Conceivably, every intermediate could have a unique variably imaged identifier exposed on separation of the layers.
It has also been found that the process for making tamper evident intermediates and articles with masked confidential information to be exposed at a later time is simplified, and an improved and more customizable product is obtained, if a translucent colored layer is caused to reversibly develop on the substrate through the combination of at least two translucent colored layers in intimate contact that form a new color or retains the color and shade of the dominant color in the combination until the layers are reversibly separated into the original translucent colors. Intimate contact between colored layers is defined as one colored layer on top of another or separated by a another translucent or clear bonding layer which can be a coating, adhesive or film. Translucent layers are defined as a layers through which an underlying indicia, surface or pattern can been viewed when the translucent layer is affixed in intimate contact preferably through the use of a clear pressure sensitive or heat activated adhesive to the underlying indicia, surface or pattern.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide for the use of separable translucent intermediates for use in tamper evident labeling and tape applications and in area's information technology, gaming and commerce where the intermediates are used to conceal information until needed by the rightful end user by separation of the layers to expose the information. Specific mention is made of a preferred embodiment adapted for use as a credit card signature stripe with embedded confidential information. A second preferred embodiment incorporates a removable scratch off coating on the exposed surface of the intermediate masking confidential information visible through the intermediate that shows tamper evident color change if it was attempted to lift the layers to look below the scratch off coating covering the confidential information. In this embodiment, it is contemplated that the confidential indicia imaged on an article covered with the intermediate of this invention is the same color or a color dominated by the layer closest to and adhered to the image. On separation of the layers, the confidential information blends into the attached layer and is not visible to the eye.
It is also contemplated that the make up of the translucent layers can be as follows:
Colored translucent polymeric film layers joined in intimate contact by a clear or colored adhesive layer.
A combination of at least one colored translucent polymeric film layer and at least one colored translucent coated layer
At least two colored translucent coated layers coated in intimate contact onto a clear polymeric film substrate.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the present specification.